News. Community. Wellness.

With recent ‘merger memories’ still top of mind, Kawartha Lakes Health Coalition (KLHC) members are alarmed over the future of Ross Memorial Hospital after reading the public notice about new special legislation initiated by Ross near the same time as the passing of the PC’s omnibus Bill 74.

KLHC formed soon after the Lindsay Advocate released a feature analysis last year that showed mergers rarely work out well for the smaller hospital, usually leading to less services offered, and nor do they work well as a cost-saving exercise. A huge community outcry followed and KLHC and its supporters were able to blunt the momentum toward any merger.

In the 1960s, the inescapable logic of Star Trek’s Mr. Spock left an indelible mark on some TV viewers, including myself. “There are always alternatives,” he dead-panned in one episode, despite the fact that he and the starship crew were in the midst of a crisis that looked like certain doom.

Rachel Carson had just published “Silent Spring,” and started the environmental movement. Since then, the times have been a changin’ but they don’t seem to be a changin’ fast enough to put the brakes on the slow-motion ecological train wreck we appear to be the passengers on, and hear about with daily headlines.

When I meet with Deborah Pearson and Ginny Colling it’s over herbal tea and Mickael’s day-olds, and their only pressing deadline is a sleep yoga workshop, starting in an hour-and-a-half.

So, after busy professional careers — for Deborah 30 years of elementary school teaching (mostly with the Trillium Board, but also in Canada’s sub-arctic and in Europe), and for Ginny 29 years teaching Journalism and Public Relations at Durham College — this is the retirement lifestyle that fills their days?

Only about 22 per cent of City residents have a library card – and that’s a statistic new CEO and library director for the City of Kawartha Lakes is intent on changing.

The Kawartha Lakes Public Library system will soon be undergoing a major outreach and community engagement initiative, with one of the primary goals to increase the number of library card holders, and to increase usage of its services.

A nasty weather pattern persists over southern Ontario, including the Kawartha Conservation watershed. Precipitation gauges around the watershed have recorded up to 45 mm of rain since Friday morning. In addition, a substantial amount of ice, ice pellets and snow has accumulated on the ground. More ice pellets and freezing rain is forecast for today.

April is traditionally known as Oral Health Month in Canada. It’s just one of the times of year when the Community Care Health & Care Network strives to educate local residents about dental health services available through the organization’s Community Dental Clinic.

With only four days to go to sign up for the Ontario Basic Income Pilot, a Provincial spokesperson says recipients of basic income shouldn’t feel there will be a hassle in returning to their previous program, such as Ontario Works or disability.

Groceries, a winter coat, a truck for the family business. These might not seem like luxuries to those of us who can afford them, but they are for the people who live on a low income in our communities.

What would otherwise be a necessity becomes a luxury when you have a hard time making ends meet every month. And the difference between a luxury and a necessity for people living on low income is as simple as having a little extra cushion each month – the kind that a basic income can provide.

From the Kawartha Lakes Health Coalition On April 18 this year The Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) posted a notice in … More

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The Lindsay Advocate is an online news magazine for Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, focused on the social and economic wellness of the town. While we cover most aspects of community life, we have a particular interest in poverty reduction.